Ukraine receives bodies of 1,000 soldiers from Russia 

Ukraine says it has received the bodies of 1,000 soldiers from Russia in the latest exchange of those killed in the war as the nearly four-year-old conflict continues to exact a heavy toll on both sides.

Russia and Ukraine confirmed the exchange on Thursday, describing it as part of ongoing agreements reached earlier in the war to allow families to bury those killed on the battlefield.

Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky said that “within the framework of the Istanbul agreements, the bodies of 1,000 dead Ukrainian soldiers have been transferred to Ukraine”, adding that “bodies of 38 dead Russian soldiers have been transferred to Russia”.

Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War confirmed the handover, saying in a statement that “repatriation events took place today, as part of which one thousand bodies were returned to Ukraine”.

Deep freeze follows Russian strikes on energy infrastructure

The exchange comes as the war, launched by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, shows little sign of abating, even as winter deepens and conditions worsen for civilians.

Ukraine’s state weather agency warned on Thursday that temperatures could plunge to as low as -30C (-22F) in the coming days, compounding the impact of Russian attacks on energy infrastructure.

The Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Centre said the coldest nights are expected between February 1 and 3, raising concerns about heating and electricity supplies already strained by repeated missile and drone strikes.

Russian attacks on power facilities have previously left millions of Ukrainians facing disruptions to heating, electricity and water, pushing parts of the country closer to a humanitarian crisis.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned on Wednesday evening that Russia was preparing fresh large-scale strikes on energy targets. Kyiv city officials said 613 buildings in the capital were without heating following recent aerial attacks.

Kremlin insists Moscow the only venue for Putin-Zelenskyy meeting

Against this backdrop, diplomatic manoeuvring continues, though prospects for a breakthrough remain uncertain.

The Kremlin said on Thursday that Moscow is the only venue under consideration for a possible face-to-face meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelenskyy, dismissing discussions of alternative locations.

The comments follow remarks by Putin’s aide Yuri Ushakov, who said that Zelenskyy had expressed interest in meeting the Russian leader in person and that Moscow had never ruled out such contact.

Ushakov said the idea of a meeting has been raised several times, including during phone conversations between Putin and US President Donald Trump.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Zelenskyy is ready to meet Putin to discuss what he described as the most sensitive issues in Kyiv’s 20-point peace plan, including territorial questions and the future of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.

Russia and Ukraine held US-mediated consultations in Abu Dhabi last weekend, with another round scheduled for Sunday in the United Arab Emirates.